Building a boat compels one to look for a broad range of solutions and find ways to gain an edge. Competitors are forced to innovate. The "Alla Grande-Pirelli" project has an extremely innovative scope, with a soul one hundred percent.

Offshore sailing calls for complex research, and the technique of the individual sailor counts for a lot. A boat, however good, is not necessarily the best for everyone. It depends on the skipper’s preferences, which is why it is essential for the skipper to be part of the design team during trials to choose the most suitable craft. Innovation for its own sake is a two-edged sword; it can be a strength or a form of weakness.

By innovating, you run a certain amount of risk, and it is not clear whether the immediate result will be the most efficient.

Trying to understand how far you can feel good at sea, to the point of becoming a part of it. For me, this is the real motivation to do things that would seem insurmountable, like facing a storm or skimming across the waves at twenty-five knots. Whenever I think about it, I get gooseflesh, but then at sea I’m transformed. I try to connect with the world around me. I analyse the clouds, study the currents and plan the rest times. All things that have to be balanced against each other. I don’t try to set myself challenges, because it could push me into making mistakes. Instead I try to use my energies sparingly, keep in touch with my rational side, and always know where I want to go.